My Second Love, Cayucos

I absolutely love living in the country.....the solitude, the room to roam, to plant gardens, keep animals, all of it! However, if I couldn't have country, I would take Cayucos! I know, I'm such a sacrificer! :-) For everything that I love about where we live, I love Cayucos for one major difference. We don't have to get into a car the entire time we're there.....we walk (a real novelty for us country folk) everywhere: the video store, the grocery store, my morning coffee at the bakery, the park, restaurants, the library. Sometimes we walk when we don't need to...just because we can!

Seriously though, the thing that I appreciate the most about being at the beach is the way that it restores my soul. It is the one place that I can go and just be, if that makes sense. I don't have to run errands, clean house, feel productive. The girls and I go downstairs where they play for hours and hours with no complaining, arguing, screaming (except when a dog runs past Lauren) and I sit in my chair and read, listen to the waves and the girls' giggles and soak up the sunshine (or the clouds if it's overcast, I don't care). Sometimes I just watch the water and think, how can anyone doubt the existence of our Creator? "Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and all that move in them" Psalm 69:34. I think of God creating the ocean, standing back and saying, "It is good" and all the while knowing that we would be created and would daily fail to recognize the beauty of it, to recognize Him in it. Thank you Lord for your creation; it is good...it is very, very good!

(Top picture: Taken from the living room where I was watching Emma play - she is the little object just above the aloe, down on the sand holding a big piece of seaweed)

Riding Lessons

Emma has, in the last several months, taken a great interest in riding horses. Emma is the kind of kid who likes to try just about anything (soccer, gymnastics, swimming) and has a great time doing whatever, but has yet to really find that one thing that she's truly passionate about. Until now. Jacob is only too happy to oblige her. He bought her a horse and then last week signed her up for riding lessons with a client of his. Today was her second lesson and she has been giddy all afternoon. She rode the instructor's horse and an English saddle (no saddle horn to hold onto) for the first time. Now she wants the outfit to match! :-)

And what did Lauren (my perfectly happy to walk, rather than ride a horse daughter who is just like her mother) do during this lesson? Feed (ahem, throw leaves at) the weanlings. Good times for everyone!

Reformation Day

October 31, 2008

High School Musical Cheerleader and Jessie from Toy Story 2

Prayer Request

Ok, I am going to try and control my overwhelming excitement as I attempt to be impartial in seeking God's will and not my own. Here goes.....my father-in-law, an elder in our church, is making a phone call today to a prospective pastor for our congregation. I happen to have great respect for this man and love his family dearly and have been praying since we met them that we might have him as our pastor. When Jake called me this afternoon to tell me that this phone call was going to happen, I burst into tears.
A little background: About 3 years ago our church hosted Synod (big meeting) and Rev. Clark and his family (wife and 3 children - high school aged, homeschooled and the politest, most agreeable children I have ever had the privilege of being around) stayed with us. I have never heard the man preach a sermon, but I have seen the way he and his family were with us, the way they prayed for us during their visit, the way they counseled and encouraged us with regard to raising our stronger-willed daughter, the way their children pulled the weeds in my flowerbed without being asked and declined an invitation to go to a house with a pool and video games because they liked playing with Emma, the way all 3 of their children obeyed and respected their parents, the way Mrs. Clark ran back into the house 3 times to give me just one more hug before they left....and sometimes, I think these things are at least as important, if not more important than the preaching (although, my FIL says he is also a great preacher and I'm inclined to believe him). I have missed the Clarks since they left that day and as certain events have unfolded in our lives over this last year, I couldn't help but think, if the Clarks were here I bet she would give me a hug and pray with me right now, I bet he would call us and make sure we were ok, I bet I would feel safe sharing our hurts with them. Maybe this is me putting my faith in man and not God, but I just want them to be here. Anyway, he is without a pulpit right now, but desiring to be in the ministry again.
Selfishly, I want to ask you to pray that the Lord's will if for us to have Rev. Clark, but what I will ask is that you pray that we will have the pastor that the Lord desires us to have, even if it isn't him. You might also want to pray for my patience in the mean time....

Go Vote!

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this."
~Isaiah 9:6-7

Let us remember this when we go to the polls and watch the pundits. No matter the results of today's election, God is sovereign, He is in control and we are safe in the hollow of His hand.